as in intruding
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion
it's rude to interrupt when someone is making an important point
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Recent Examples of interrupting
Across parts of the political right and the tech world alike, psychedelics are increasingly framed as transformative molecules capable of resetting trauma, interrupting addiction, or optimizing the brain.
—
Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
The 24-year-old was sidelined by a right hamstring injury of his own late in the regular season, interrupting his momentum right after the Nuggets had found success with him as a quasi-backup center.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
O’Hare, who sat just a few feet away from Willett, disagreed with Willett’s comments, immediately interrupting him.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
The ensuing rescue dominated every TV station and headline, with networks like CBS, ABC and NBC interrupting primetime television to carry the coverage.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Low-slung timber and stone buildings trace the dunes' natural topography, never interrupting it, and views reveal themselves gradually rather than all at once.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
This is not simply a story of crisis interrupting democracy.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
Because the mind is always interrupting with nonsensical thoughts that are completely meaningless, most of the time, and a lot of times negative.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The TikTok tactic appears to work by interrupting a child’s emotional escalation with confusion or curiosity—essentially redirecting attention.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
The 24-year-old was sidelined by a right hamstring injury of his own late in the regular season, interrupting his momentum right after the Nuggets had found success with him as a quasi-backup center.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
O’Hare, who sat just a few feet away from Willett, disagreed with Willett’s comments, immediately interrupting him.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
The ensuing rescue dominated every TV station and headline, with networks like CBS, ABC and NBC interrupting primetime television to carry the coverage.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Low-slung timber and stone buildings trace the dunes' natural topography, never interrupting it, and views reveal themselves gradually rather than all at once.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
This is not simply a story of crisis interrupting democracy.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
Because the mind is always interrupting with nonsensical thoughts that are completely meaningless, most of the time, and a lot of times negative.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The TikTok tactic appears to work by interrupting a child’s emotional escalation with confusion or curiosity—essentially redirecting attention.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrupting
Verb
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If not executed well, says one sales executive familiar with combining advertisers and programming, viewers may feel that something is intruding upon a favorite piece of entertainment.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
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Where that movie was about one man intruding upon everyone else’s thoughts, however, this one is about everyone else’s thoughts intruding upon one man.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During periods of heightened solar activity, there's even a chance of spotting auroras alongside meteors, adding an extra layer of magic to the already beautiful view!—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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India wants to diversify its sourcing away from China in these sectors, Malik said, adding that shipbuilding and automotive steel are further areas of interest to India.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the spare use of cutting in key moments can be a drag — when your brain is working faster than the movie, that’s a problem.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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The skin should look dry and slightly blistered, the potato should give with a gentle squeeze, and after cutting in, the flesh should look fluffy and steamy.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Interrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrupting. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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